What I Should’ve Said

Wednesday, September 1st

Bennett

Norah sleeps soundly in my T-shirt as I kiss her on the shoulder, leave the bedroom, and close the door behind me.

The morning sun bounces rays of light off the hardwood floor of the hallway as I walk to Summer’s room first. I crack open her door, and my presence pulls Charlie to her feet. She leaves my daughter’s side and comes to me, her face a mask of news I know I’m not prepared to hear. My throat feels clogged as I ask, “She’s still sleeping?”

Charlie nods. “Straight through since yesterday afternoon when she woke up to see your sister.”

After we came back from the wedding—and after Norah and I made love—Breezy came home, and we cooked some chicken on the grill. Summer woke up just as we were getting done, though she had no appetite for food and only stayed awake long enough to talk with Breezy for ten minutes. I thought she would have woken up at some point during the night, but evidently, her small body is much more tired than I realized.

I nod, the motion rough. “I’m just going to make some coffee, and then I’m going to come sit with her. You can run home if you need to or get some rest in the guest room—whatever you’d like.”

“I’ll stay.”

“Thank you, Charlie.” Ever since we got back from Summer’s hospital admission in Burlington, Charlie has taken over almost all of the nursing shifts. Even the evening and night shifts we used to have agency nurses fill so Charlie had time off.

She’s made a point to stay by Summer’s side as much as she can, even sleeping in the guest bedroom most nights. And selfishly, I’m grateful for it.

Charlie squeezes my arm before heading back to Summer’s bedside, and I move into the kitchen with my mind set on coffee.

I’m both frazzled and at ease, and I know the latter is because of the woman in my bed.

I startle a little when the kitchen talks back to me upon my entrance. “Well, hello there.”

A newspaper ruffles and folds on the table to reveal my smirking sister sitting there with a cup of coffee already in hand. In typical Breezy fashion, she’s dressed for the day in what I can only assume is expensive-as-shit designer jeans and a white button-down shirt. Even her jet-black bob is perfectly set.

“Morning. I didn’t think you were up.”

“Had a hard time sleeping.” She eyes me knowingly, a teeny smile hinting at the corners of her mouth. “There’s a pot already made if you’re looking for caffeine. I figured I wouldn’t be the only one who didn’t sleep much.”

I roll my eyes. “Easy, Breeze.”

She chuckles. “Oh, come on, Ben. I’m not blind, and even if I were, I have ears. My accommodations you’ve so kindly given me are right next to your bedroom.”

“I suppose you’re gonna give me shit now, then, huh?”

She shakes her head, surprising me, and then purses her lips. “No, actually. I like her. She’s smart. Funny. Nicer than you or I will ever be. And she treats your daughter like the sun rises and sets with her.”

I have to look down at the floor to stop the rush of emotion from making it to my eyes.

“She’s a pretty good assistant too, as it turns out, and has all your shit in order.”

“I didn’t expect it,” I admit quietly. “But I love her.”

“I know,” Breezy says with a bob of her head. “I can tell. We few girls lucky enough to know what it means to have Bennett Bishop love you know the look.”

I pause briefly. My sister really is the best kind of person. “Breeze, I’m sorry for all the—”

A knock on the front door stops me midsentence, and my eyebrows draw together. “Who the fuck?”

Breezy stands too, moving toward the door with me as I go. “Maybe it’s Josie looking for Norah? She was doing okay when I left her yesterday, but damn, does that woman have some history with the fella you all tried to make her fake-marry.”

But when I open the door, it’s not Josie. It’s Sheriff Peeler, and his face looks as forlorn as I’ve ever seen it. “Bennett,” he greets before shifting his gaze to Breezy. “Ma’am.”

“What’s going on, Pete?” My stomach sinks with the feeling that he’s not here for a friendly chat.

“I think it’s best if you come down to the station, Ben. There’s quite a bit we need to talk about.”

“Rather not leave, Pete. Summer’s…” I shake my head and swallow. “I’d rather not leave.”

Pete’s face turns tortured. “I’m sorry, Ben. I really am. But…the part about you coming down to the station, well, it’s not really an option.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Breezy asks then, the angry, New York side of her coming out on my behalf. “Is my brother under arrest?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m afraid he is. Seems someone in New York wasn’t satisfied without ruffling some more feathers.”

That motherfucker Thomas Conrad Michael King III. I knew he wasn’t going to stand there and piss into the wind.

Fuck.

“Can I go get dressed, at least?”

Pete frowns. “Sorry, Ben, really sorry. But I barely held ’em off from coming to your house with me. The sooner we get down there, the better.” S~ᴇaʀᴄh the (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Don’t say anything, Bennett,” Breezy commands, a finger in my face as I slip on the closest pair of shoes. “Not a damn thing. I’ll get our lawyer here on the next plane.”

What else can I do at this point?

“Take care of Summer and Norah,” I say as I walk over toward Pete. “Charlie’s still here, in the guest bedroom if you need her.”

Breezy nods. “Don’t worry, Ben. I’m going to take care of everything.”

For far from the first time in my life, I’m thankful for my big sister and her even bigger metaphorical balls.

Sheriff Peeler walks behind me to the cop car and puts me into the back seat, his gentle hand on the top of my head. He climbs inside and starts the car, and then, before we really get moving, tosses a set of handcuffs through the small hole in the cage between us.

“Just…put these on yourself when we get close. It’ll be easier if they don’t make a fuss.”

“Jesus, Pete, who the hell did that fucker get involved in this?”

Pete winces, and I sit back in the seat with a thud of disbelieving proportions. As we pull down the driveway, I look back just in time to see Norah rushing out the front door, my T-shirt the only thing on her body. Breezy holds her close with an arm around her shoulders, and for the second time since we met, I drive away in the back of a police car while she looks on.

The only difference is that this time, I know she’s worth the trouble.